RWAMPARA, January 24, 2025 – Frederick Ngobi Gume, the Minister of State for Cooperatives, and Robert Barigye Bariyo, the Registrar of Cooperatives, have been accused of interfering with the affairs of the Rwampara Ranching Cooperative Society Limited.
Rev. Asaph Kahinda Kahanguzi, the Interim Chairperson of the cooperative, claims that the annual general meeting [AGM] has been delayed twice due to alleged interference by Gume and Barigye. Originally set for November 30, 2024, the AGM was first postponed to January 24, 2025, and then again to the new date of January 31, 2025.
“We held an extraordinary meeting on November 1, 2024, where members unanimously agreed to go to their respective sub-counties to verify the exact membership for the elective AGM scheduled for November 30, 2024. However, this did not take place,” Kahanguzi explained.
Andrew Mubona, the Interim Vice-Chairperson of the cooperative, told this reporter that it is Gume who postponed the elective meeting from January 24 to January 31, 2025, to accommodate his attendance. At the time, Gume and other politicians from the Busoga Subregion were hosting President Museveni who was in the region to assess the performance of the Parish Development Model [PDM].
Call to replace Barigye at the AGM
Speaking to journalists on Sunday at Kinoni Dairy Factory in Kinoni Town Council, Rwampara district, Kahanguzi also called for the replacement of Barigye, accusing him of colluding with former top officials of the cooperative to misappropriate Shs 9.6 billion received from the government. This sum was part of compensation for 4 square miles of land that the government had given to squatters during the ranch restructuring programme following President Museveni’s rise to power in 1986.
“During a meeting on October 30, 2024, attended by security officers and commercial officials, former cooperative Secretary Elly Beinomugisha revealed that he paid Rwampara District Commercial Officer Amon Mutabarura Shs 5 million, and Bariyo Shs 15 million as a bribe to resume payments to members—payments that Barigye had previously suspended in a letter dated July 11, 2024. However, on July 18, 2024, Barigye reversed this decision, leading to further losses for the society,” Kahanguzi alleged. “Barigye did not deny the allegations at that meeting, so we are recommending that we get another supervisor.”
Ongoing investigations
Kahanguzi also confirmed that Mutabarura was summoned to the Rwizi Regional CID Office to provide a statement about the missing cooperative funds.
He stated that the Rwampara Resident District Commissioner’s office and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit [SHACU] are investigating the misuse of cooperative funds. Kahanguzi also added that the AGM should not proceed on January 31, until the investigations are complete.
“Investigations are ongoing, and the Registrar was explicitly told not to be involved in the affairs of Rwampara Ranching Cooperative Society Limited. This instruction was reiterated recently in the report and minutes from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, directing the Registrar not to engage with the cooperative until the investigations are concluded,” Kahanguzi said, adding that the exact number of members must be verified before the AGM scheduled for January 31, 2025.
As the interim leadership, Kahanguzi explained that they had requested proper documentation from Rwampara Ranching Cooperative Society Limited on July 28, 2024, and September 11, 2024. However, Barigye had declined to approve this request for reasons that remain unclear. To date, the exact number of members is still unknown.
“I cannot attend such a meeting. How can I please the world and betray my conscience and faith?” Kahanguzi said, vowing not to attend the AGM unless the issues are resolved.
Allegations of Delegates Being Blocked
Charles Twebaze, a delegate from Ruhama Sub-county in Ntungamo District, claimed that there were efforts to block some delegates from participating in the upcoming AGM. He accused Seth Niwagaba, the Assistant District Commercial Officer for Ntungamo, of gathering credentials for members and listing non-members to attend the upcoming AGM.
“We confronted Niwagaba, who admitted that he was acting on behalf of Barigye and Minister Gume,” Twebaze said, adding that the matter had been reported to his supervisor, Fedelis Kiiza, the Assistant Chief Administrative Officer of Ntungamo district.
When contaceted by this reporter, Kiiza confirmed the verbal complaint from the cooperative’s members but said he has not received a written petition from them. “I’m aware of their complaint against Niwagaba. I advised them to put it in writing, but I haven’t received their petition yet,” Kiiza said.
Senior minister’s pledge to recover properties of the cooperative
Meanwhile, Johnson Muhumuza, a cooperative member from Kinoni Town Council, told this reporter that Francis Mwebesa, the Minister of Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives, had pledged to help recover the fixed properties lost by the cooperative. “On December 15, 2024, we met Minister Mwebesa, and he promised to help us recover our six square miles of land and two buildings in Mbarara City,” Muhumuza said.
He added that Mwebesa had also agreed to appoint another individual from his office to organise the upcoming AGM.
“The purpose of the AGM is to elect a substantive board to run the cooperative, but if Barigye is still in charge of convening the meeting, we fear it will be biased and the leadership elected may lack integrity,” Muhumuza said. “We request that the AGM be suspended until the investigations are concluded, and we want to ensure that only genuine members of Rwampara Ranching Cooperative Society Limited participate to avoid confusion.”
“We urge President Museveni to intervene and help restore Rwampara Ranching Cooperative Society to its rightful state,” he added. “Those appointed to ensure justice are instead working to destroy the cooperative.”
Response from the accused
When contacted Amon Mutabarura, the accused District Commercial Officer for Rwampara, denied the allegations of receiving money from the cooperative, challenging his accusers to provide evidence. “As a commercial officer, how would I get involved in the affairs of Rwampara Ranching Cooperative Society, which spans three districts—Rwampara, Mbarara, and Ntungamo?” Mutabarura said, calling the accusations baseless.
He also questioned the credibility of the claims against him, stating, “The people who were paid had the money directly wired into their accounts. Neither I nor the Registrar [Barigye] were among the beneficiaries.”
When contacted, Seth Niwagaba, the Assistant District Commercial Officer for Ntungamo, confirmed that he had been tasked by Barigye to verify members of the cooperative in the district but denied enlisting non-members for the AGM. “I was simply following instructions to verify members of the cooperative in Ntungamo district, as directed by the Registrar of Cooperatives. I wasn’t deeply involved in other matters related to the cooperative,” Niwagaba said.
Background
Rwampara Ranching Cooperative Society Limited was founded on January 20, 1969, and covers nine sub-counties in Greater Ankole, including Ntungamo, Ndeija, Ruhama, Itojo, Rwikiniro, Rukoni, Rugando, Bugamba, and Nyakayojo. In 1993, the government took 4 square miles of the cooperative’s land without compensation. After a protracted legal battle, the cooperative won a case against the government, resulting in compensation of over Shs 9.6 billion in 2024.
However, allegations of mismanagement of these funds by the board, lawyers, and other officials have since emerged. Three individuals, including Elly Beinomugisha [Secretary], Joy Ashaba (Treasurer), and Emmanuel Ahimbisibwe [Member], were arrested and released on police bond after repaying part of the stolen money. Investigations into the matter are ongoing.
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